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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · bound · wave · spell · net · squash · land · cue

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. land — ground
  8. bound — obliged
  9. net — after costs
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — a short time
  14. land — to come down
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — magic
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com